Our take on February 2026’s ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ white paper.
After a long wait, the government has released its Every child achieving and thriving White Paper, and it is a significant step forward. At its heart, the report shows a real commitment to helping children succeed not just as individuals, but as active and informed citizens. Our Chief Growth Officer, Tiffany Smyly, has been diving into the details to see where Topical Talk can support schools and children to achieve these ambitions.
Curriculum
One of the most refreshing takeaways is the focus on making school a place that children actually enjoy. There is a clear push for a “dynamic curriculum” that prioritises inclusion and gives young people a genuine reason to want to be in school every day. I’m particularly pleased to see the emphasis on how the new national curriculum for England will spotlight media and digital literacy, with the government making citizenship compulsory in primary schools and embedding these skills across all subjects.
However, it is vital that this goes beyond the basic technical skills of spotting misinformation. We know that many young people are already aware of “mis” and “dis” information, but they often lack the motivation or the practice to apply critical thinking to difficult, real-world topics where they might already have views. This is exactly where Topical Talk becomes an essential partner for schools.
Specifically designed to help students bridge the gap between “knowing” and “caring,” our programme allows them to practise critical thinking through the lens of current affairs. Because our resources are mapped directly to Ofcom’s media literacy outcomes, teachers don’t have to worry about the technicalities—they can focus on the discussion. It ties directly to “vote preparedness,” ensuring that when students leave school, they aren’t just literate; they are ready to participate in democracy.
Enrichment
The introduction of a new “Enrichment Framework” is another win, but we have to be honest about the pressure on schools. With a new Core Enrichment Entitlement on the horizon, there are valid questions regarding how manageable these changes will be. To ensure this does not just become extra work for overstretched staff, the best approach is to link enrichment directly to curriculum requirements.
Topical Talk serves as a “ready-to-go” enrichment programme that achieves multiple aims at once including media literacy, oracy, citizenship, critical thinking and enrichment. It is fully resourced and requires no prior teacher expertise, which significantly reduces the planning workload. By using our weekly Headlines or joining our global competitions, schools can meet requirements for civic engagement and wider life skills in a way that is genuinely fun for students.
Crucially, this approach is inclusive. By providing a structured way to improve oracy, Topical Talk ensures that enrichment is accessible for everyone, including students with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities). We believe that tying enrichment to the specific needs of these students is critical to making the white paper’s vision a reality.
Digital and AI
The move toward a digital curriculum and the use of AI is a bold and welcome step. While AI is an incredible tool for saving time and sparking new ideas, we are also concerned about a heavy reliance on just one or two platforms being positioned as a single solution for teaching resources and adaptation.
While technology is a brilliant starting point, it cannot replace the value of a skilled teacher. Educators need training and a wide variety of resources from across the sector to help them respond to the discussion needs of their students in real time.
By using diverse, expert-led tools like Topical Talk alongside new AI innovations, schools can ensure that technology supports, rather than replaces, the deep classroom-based interactions that truly help a child thrive.
Our commitments to support schools and teachers further
As the new Curriculum for England takes shape, we are committed to being a practical partner for every classroom. We are already undertaking curriculum mapping across our programmes and will ensure our resources fit into the new landscape. We will continue to demonstrate exactly how Topical Talk can meet the new Enrichment Framework, while offering hands-on training and support to help schools implement these changes confidently. Most importantly, we will continue to create our free weekly lessons on current affairs, while strengthening the oracy and critical thinking elements of our programmes even further.
Our goal is to take the heavy lifting out of planning, allowing teachers to focus on inspiring the next generation of active citizens.
Read how Topical Talk meets media literacy and oracy requirements here.
See how Topical Talk works as enrichment here.
Our latest Impact Report includes a case study which details how Topical Talk works for SEND students.